A central question
Educators across the country are navigating complex student needs, staffing shortages, shifting expectations and ongoing resource challenges. In that environment, a central question emerges: what improves educator well-being and what will keep people in the profession?
Research provides answers
New research from Educators Thriving, conducted in partnership with the National Education Association (NEA), offers a compelling answer. Labor-management collaboration matters, and it matters significantly.
The study, conducted by Educators Thriving, surveyed more than 7,500 educators across 15 districts in four states, examining how collaboration between unions and district leadership impacts workplace experience. The findings were clear: when collaboration is strong, educator outcomes improve across the board.
“Those in high collaboration environments were 5.2 times as likely to report high overall well-being,” said Hallie Fox, Educators Thriving co-founder and head of research. “They were four times as likely to recommend working in their district and more than three times as likely to say they plan to stay.”
At a time when staff retention is a growing concern, the data underscores the power of systems-level change. Educators in collaborative environments feel more supported, are more likely to stay in public education and encourage others to join the profession.
Measuring what matters
The research also established that the effects of collaboration can be tangibly measured. The Educators Thriving research tool used a 13-question framework to ask educators about their experiences with union connection, school-level collaboration and district-level decision-making. The results confirmed that collaboration is not just a leadership concept. It is something educators can clearly see, feel and evaluate in their daily work.
From theory to practice
At its core, LMC work moves beyond traditional, adversarial models. It centers on shared decision-making, transparent communication and joint problem-solving between unions and district leaders. Those structures directly shape how educators experience their work.
For districts already engaged in LMC work, the findings validate what educators, administrators and other public-school stakeholders have seen firsthand.
Janina J. Kusielewicz, Clifton Public Schools assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, has been a champion of labor-management collaboration in her district and a mentor to others.
“Last year, the survey results were staggeringly positive, showing that this collaboration is making a real difference in teacher well-being,” Kusielewicz said.
Updating how we think about well-being
The data also highlights a critical shift in thinking. While individual resilience is often emphasized, this research shows that organizational conditions, structures, relationships and systems play a far greater role in shaping educator well-being.
There is also a clear takeaway for districts navigating ongoing challenges. Collaboration alone is not enough. It must be paired with strong foundational supports, such as staffing, resources and meaningful professional development. But without collaboration, those supports are less effective.
At a time when educators are being asked to do more than ever, investing in collaboration is not an added initiative. It is a necessary strategy.
The question is no longer whether collaboration matters when districts navigate challenges. The question is how to build LMCs tailored to each district’s needs, sustain them and ensure that the opportunity for shared decision making reaches every educator.